Page 5

5

P aisley

The engines of our jet aircraft make a low hum.

“Oh, my gosh, look over there; it’s the island. I can see it!” Maggie yells over the flight attendant, who is making an announcement over the loudspeaker.

“…make sure that your seatback is in the upright position with your tray table stowed away,” the beautifully dressed woman continues over the speaker system on the aircraft, which is state-of-the-art. It’s all sleek leather with chrome finishes. I’ve never seen anything like it.

My heart is beating wildly at the thought of the dragons I’m about to encounter. Are they really tame? Do they shift back into men?

Dragon shifters.

It’s freaking insane.

I clasp my hands together in my lap, trying to breathe slowly. My nerves are on edge as we get closer to our destination. I look around the aircraft and note that the others seem to feel much the same. There is a mixture of both excitement and anxiety. After Marcel was done with our talk, everyone opted to come to the island, which came as a bit of a surprise where Mark was concerned.

I grip my armrest as we hit a patch of turbulence, passing through a section of mist that came out of nowhere. It doesn’t take long before it’s blue skies and smooth sailing again.

I steal a glance out the window and see waves crashing against the rocky shore below.

“We’re nearly there.” Maggie’s eyes are wide; she’s practically vibrating with excitement and has been chatting nonstop about dragon shifters and the fun we’re about to have.

“It almost makes me sad because I’m too old to be a Tribute,” she says under her breath. “Do you think the shifters will be attractive?”

The flight attendant walks down the aisle, checking that all seat belts are fastened for landing.

“They’re half animal,” Julie says. She’s sitting next to me on the aisle seat. “There’s just no way they’re good-looking.” She shakes her head and wrinkles her nose.

“I have no idea what to expect,” I say, seeing dense jungle below us. It doesn’t look very civilized to me. The island is bigger than I thought it would be.

“All the Tributes going to Mistveil are women,” Maggie says almost wistfully. “They’re here to date and marry the men on the island because women are in such short supply,” she repeats what Marcel told us yesterday.

That’s why they had a full gynecological exam, together with a full medical, instead of just the normal blood draw. They were looking for fertile women to bring to the island.

“Yep.” I nod. “I feel so sorry for them. Their own shifter women have become less and less fertile, and most of the babies born are male. They’ve started to die out.” It’s awful that they’re having to resort to such measures.

“I’m glad I’m not one of the Tributes. Poor things have no idea what they’re in for. I don’t envy Cathy,” Julie tells me, shaking her head. “She will have to keep them happy. At least we had a choice whether we wanted to come here or not. The Tributes are being forced to go to the island.”

“That’s true.” I nod. “At least they won’t be forced to marry any of the shifter men, though.”

“Yeah, but they will have to stay on the island for three months before they’re allowed to leave,” Julie says. “I think we’ll have it easy. It’s poor Cathy who has to contend with it all. She’s going to have her work cut out for her.”

“At least they will be well remunerated,” I tell her.

“Money isn’t—” Julie starts to say.

“Look.” Maggie points to some houses in the distance. “The island is inhabited, and the dragons don’t live in caves. Marcel was right.”

We all look out the window at the signs of civilization down below.

“It looks so normal,” I say. There are streets and cars with rows of neat homes.

“Oh, my god!” someone says from a seat toward the front. “It’s a dragon.”

Russel unclicks his seatbelt and stands so that he can get a better look out the window.

“Holy shit!” he yells.

“Please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened,” the flight attendant says over the loudspeaker, using a voice of authority.

Russel sinks back into his seat, his eyes still focused outside the aircraft.

I listen with half an ear because I’m staring at the dragon flying in the distance.

It’s an actual dragon.

Holy crap!

My jaw has become unhinged. Everyone is silent. Aside from the whir of the engines, all I hear is the sound of my heart beating loudly.

The dragon darts through the air, its massive wings beating rhythmically against the wind. Its scales glisten in the sunlight, reflecting a rainbow of colors as it soars effortlessly above the island, casting a shadow on the ground below.

Who would have thought when I left Cedar Pines that this would be my fate? Not me.

“It’s huge,” Julia whispers. “Bigger than I ever imagined.”

It veers to the right and flies away, not giving us much notice.

“There’s another one,” Maggie says, pointing.

Sure enough, another dragon comes into view, this one larger than the first. It swoops down low over the treetops before landing in a clearing next to a house. I crane my neck, trying to keep it in my sight, but we are moving too fast. I’m pretty sure those dots in the distance are more dragons.

The aircraft banks and a small runway comes into view.

“Here we go,” Julie says, swallowing thickly. She checks her seatbelt, pulling the strap to make it tighter.

It doesn’t take long before we touch down with a bump. The pilot engages the brakes. Minutes later, the aircraft taxis and then parks in one of the bays. All the others are empty, but there are a few helicopters parked up ahead.

Marcel stands and turns to face us, his hands on the seat back on either side of the aisle. “Welcome to Mistveil Island.” He smiles. “Grab your hand luggage before disembarking, but don’t worry about your suitcases. They will be brought to your apartments at the accommodation block. Any questions before we head over there?”

Several SUVs pull up directly outside the aircraft. Huge men in full leather outfits get out of the waiting vehicles. They are well-muscled, with tattoos peeking out from under the leather.

“Is that…um…them?” Russel asks. “Are they shifters?” He whispers the word “shifters.”

“Yes, they are.” Marcel nods. “You will find them to be intelligent and very pleasant.”

“Holy hell!” Maggie gasps. “Very pleasant, indeed.” She looks over at Marcel, putting up her hand. “I have a question.”

“Yes, Miss Williams.”

“Are we permitted to date while on the island?” Maggie asks.

Several of the others giggle. Carter all-out laughs.

“You can’t be serious,” the new doctor splutters. He’s an older man who keeps very much to himself.

Marcel looks a little shell-shocked. “Um…well…um…” He shrugs. “You may not date anyone you work with directly.”

“I’m talking about them.” She uses her thumb to point out the window.

“Um…well…” He shrugs again. “There are no rules in place that I know of, but as I mentioned earlier, this is a pilot program, so we’re in unchartered waters. I will have to get back to you on that.” He winces.

“Please do.” Maggie is still looking at the shifters.

“They’re pretty good-looking.” Julia sounds a little out of breath. “Nothing like I imagined they would be.”

“I wouldn’t recommend dating them or anyone,” Marcel says, looking worried. “That kind of thing tends to cause complications. You’re all here to do a job.”

“Yeah, but we’re not on the job twenty-four-seven, and we are here for a whole year, Marcel. Life is too short,” Maggie tells him. “I mean, we’re on an island with gorgeous men…” She clears her throat. “Make that, shifters, where there is an under-supply of women. If there was ever a chance to live a little…this is it.” She licks her lips. “I think I died and went to man-heaven.” She clutches a hand to her chest, staring outside at where the men are standing.

We all follow her gaze. Just then, a fancy car pulls up. Within seconds, the tinted window is lowered. My breath catches as a man leans forward. He removes his sunglasses and looks up at the aircraft. It feels like he is looking straight at me.

I think he has to be the most beautiful man I have ever seen. It might be his eyes; they’re a bright blue. The brightest blue I have ever seen. They’re intense and seem to stare right into the heart of me.

His hair is so blond it’s almost white. His face is…it’s beyond masculine, and yet there are things on it that don’t quite belong on such a manly face. His mouth is full. His lashes are another feature that seem a little out of place but work, nonetheless. They’re long, thick, and black, in complete contrast to his hair. He’s wearing a full suit, complete with a tie.

Gold cufflinks glint in the light as he pushes his Ray-Bans back over his eyes. He pulls back into the shadows, and a second later, the window closes, breaking the spell. I realize I’ve been holding my breath the whole time. I suck in some air, my eyes wide. My mind is reeling because… Holy hell. I’ve never felt sucker-punched just looking at a man before… Only, he’s no man. That much, I can tell. No, I can sense it, just looking at him.